Bailey Comes to the Tipton
by jasonstoneface
Summary: Bailey arrives at the Tipton Hotel in Boston after a traumatic experience and Cody comforts her.  Fluffy one-shot.  CAUTION:  Brief child abuse.  You have been warned.


Disclaimer: I don't own the Suite Life or its characters, okay? I don't even take credit for this story. This was inspired by a story I read called "Bailey's Depression," and I thought it could use some improvements. And to the author, I had no way to contact you, so I hope you don't mind me updating your story. Just read it, I think you'll like it. No plagiarism intended, people! It's a slight AU, as I'm incorporating some elements of Season 3 of Suite Life on Deck into the story. Plus, I know they're supposed to be finishing high school in Season 3, but I've made it so that they haven't started their senior year yet, hence another reason for the AU.

**BAILEY COMES TO THE TIPTON**

_Seventeen-year-old Bailey Pickett was walking towards the door of her house in Kettlecorn, Kansas with two suitcases in tow. She quietly made her way to the door, only to be stopped by a voice, saying, "Where do you think you're going?"_

_Bailey gasped as she turned to face the source of the voice: Her father. He had a bottle of whiskey in his right hand and it was plain to see that he was drunk as he stumbled towards his daughter. Bailey gulped in fear before answering, "Anywhere but here, as long as I'm away from you!"_

_Mr. Pickett walked towards Bailey, who just stood there frozen. His speech slurred, he asked, "You going to live with that boyfriend of yours? You going to be his little whore? How do you plan to get there? What if he doesn't take you in?"_

"_I don't care," answered Bailey. "I'd rather be a beggar on a street corner than live with you." She then turned to walk out the door, only to be grabbed by the hair!_

_Bailey screamed in pain as she dropped her suitcases. Her father threw her to the floor and said, "We'll see what you have to say after this."_

_Bailey watched in horror as she soon realized what her own father was about to do to her. "Dad,. . . dad, don't! Please! STOP!"_

Bailey screamed as she woke with a start. Panting, it didn't take her long to realize that she had startled the people in the airplane, including the man sitting next to her. Bailey looked down in embarrassment and said, "I'm sorry."

A stewardess approached and asked, "Are you okay?"

Bailey looked up and hesitated before answering. "Yeah. I'll be fine. I'm sorry."

"Would you like me to bring you something to drink?" asked the stewardess.

"Yes, please," said Bailey with a nod.

When the stewardess left to get Bailey a beverage, the man sitting next to her asked, "Bad dream?"

Bailey looked at the man for several seconds before answering, "Nightmare."

"Care to talk about it?" asked the man.

Bailey thought about it for a moment before deciding against it. "No. I'm sorry, but there's only one person I want to talk you. He's the only one who can help me."

The man looked at Bailey before speaking up. "Okay. But if you change your mind, I'm willing to lend an ear." Bailey managed a smile.

The plane soon landed in Boston, Massachusetts. After getting off and getting her luggage, Bailey commandeered a cab and took a ride to the Tipton Hotel. After getting out and paying the cabbie, Bailey took a deep breath and walked inside.

Upon walking in, Bailey quickly noticed Esteban Ramirez at the main desk. Tentatively, she asked, "Hey, Esteban?"

Esteban looked up smiled, saying, "Bailey, what a pleasant surprise! What brings you here?"

"It's a long story," answered Bailey. "Look, is Cody here? I really need to talk to him."

Esteban looked behind Bailey and smiled, saying, "There he is. He just stepped off the elevator."

Bailey turned to see her boyfriend Cody Martin and began walking towards him. "Cody?" she asked.

Cody quickly realized that his girlfriend was there. He smiled and approached her saying, "Bailey! It's good to see you!" He quickly went over and hugged her, saying, "I didn't expect to see you here. How are you? How is everything?"

"Cody, look, I don't mean to sound rude, but could we go up to your suite?" asked Bailey. "I need to talk to you. In private."

Cody's smiled disappeared as he realized the urgency in Bailey's voice. He said, "Sure. Let me carry those for you." Bailey handed him her luggage and they entered the elevator, headed for the Martin's suite.

Cody and Bailey walked into the suite, Cody calling out, "Mom?"

Carey Martin approached, saying, "Cody? You're back early." Noticing the girl with him, she smiled and asked, "Is this Bailey?"

"Yes, maam," answered Cody as he set Bailey's bags down. "This is my girlfriend Bailey Pickett. Bailey, this is my mom, Carey Martin."

"Hi, Mrs. Martin," said Bailey politely. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Cody then said, "Look, mom, Bailey needs to talk to me in private, so could you please go to your rehearsal?"

"Sure, Cody," said Carey. "I was just about to go anyway. Nice to meet you, Bailey. Bye, kids." She then walked out the door.

When Carey was gone, Cody and Bailey sat down on the couch. Cody put his arm around Bailey and asked, "So, what is it that you needed to talk to me about?"

Bailey didn't respond. Instead, she looked down as tears soon began streaming down her face, catching Cody by surprise. She then buried her head into his chest and cried. Not sure what else to do, Cody just wrapped Bailey in a hug and allowed her to let her tears out.

Bailey had been crying for nearly half an hour when she finally removed her head from Cody's chest. Cody gently turned Bailey to face him and began wiping her tears. However, when Cody was about to wipe his hands on his pants, he noticed some kind of residue on his fingers. He rubbed his fingers together, took a sniff, and realized that it was smeared make-up. He then took a closer look at her cheeks and noticed that they were an unusual shade of red. Hesitantly, he asked, "Bailey,. . . are. . . are those. . . handprints?" All Bailey could manage was a nod, but that was enough for Cody. "Who did this to you?" The thought of someone doing this to his girlfriend was enough to make his blood boil!

Bailey's voice cracked as she answered. "My dad. My dad did this to me."

"Your dad hits you?" asked Cody in surprise. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Because up until a few weeks ago, he never laid a hand on me," answered Bailey.

"What happened?" While his voice was full of concern, it was also full of authority. He wanted to know at once!

Bailey let out a deep breath before answering. "A little over a month ago, my mom and my sisters all died in a fire. That was a couple of weeks before we finished junior year." Cody nodded. He remembered how devastated Bailey had been when she'd learned about that. "At first, it looked like my dad and I would get through it together. We comforted each other, cried on each other's shoulders. But then, three days after we left the ship, he started drinking. He would get drunk and start yelling at me, saying that it should have been me and that it was my fault. Initially, I chalked it up to his grief, but soon he started slapping me while on his drunken binges. He even punched me twice. The first time, he busted my lip. The second time, he gave me a black eye, which still hurts. Whenever he sobered up, he would apologize for what he did, but it wasn't long before he would slap me and blame me for what happened even when he hadn't been drinking. But that's not the worst of it."

"What do you mean?" asked Cody cautiously. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like the answer.

"Well, finally, I couldn't take it anymore," answered Bailey. "So, I took all the money I had, my entire life's savings, which will be more than enough to pay my way through our senior year at Seven Seas High. I also packed all of my clothes and was about to come here to see you. I tried to sneak out the door, but I didn't quite make it. My dad caught me and he. . . he. . . he raped me!"

This surprised Cody as Bailey began crying into her hands. All Cody could manage to say was, "He did what? He raped you? How could he do that?"

"He said you wouldn't want me after that," said Bailey through her tears. "He also said that if he ever saw me again, he was going to do worse. Was he. . . was he right? Are you going to break up with me?"

Cody took Bailey's hand and held it tightly, reassuring her. "Hey, it's going to take a lot more than that to drive me away. If we could get through our break-up in Paris, we can get through this no problem." He then wrapped Bailey in a hug, allowing her to cry on his shoulder.

Bailey looked up at Cody and said, "Look, I know I have no right to involve you in this. . ."

Cody, however, put a finger to her lips, silencing her. "Hey. You've got every right."

"Cody, I'm scared," said Bailey.

"Don't be," whispered Cody. "I'm here for you, Bails. I'm here for you. And I'll help you through this. Every step of the way." Cody softly kissed her on the top of her head. As Bailey cried, she soon fell asleep in Cody's arms. With his bedroom door already open, Cody picked his girlfriend up and gently placed her on his bed. He quietly closed the door, sat on the couch, and turned on the TV.

Not long after he'd turned on the television, Zack walked into the suite, saying, "Hey, Codester." However, Cody shushed him. "What?" asked Zack in confusion.

"Bailey's asleep," whispered Cody.

"Bailey?" asked Zack in surprise. "What's she doing here? I thought she was back in Kettlecorn?"

"Not anymore," answered Cody. "Now be quiet, she's had a rough time this past month."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you when I'm ready, now be quiet and let her rest."

About an hour later, Carey walked back in, saying, "Hey, boys, is everything okay?"

"It's fine, mom," said Cody.

Bailey soon walked out of the bathroom. She managed a weak smile and said, "Hi, Mrs. Martin."

She then sat next to Cody on the couch and Cody wrapped his arm around her before kissing her on the forehead. Bailey snuggled her head into Cody's chest as she, Zack, and Cody continued to watch TV.

Seeing his brother comforting Bailey, Zack frowned and said, "Get a room, you two!" This caused Bailey to flinch as Cody shot Zack a death glare. "What?" asked Zack innocently.

"Zack, be nice," said Carey. "Bailey's a guest. But how long is she staying here, Cody?"

Cody and Bailey looked at each other. Cody then looked at his mom and said, "That's kind of what I need to talk to you about. In private."

Carey nodded as she and Cody stepped outside. Carey said, "What is it, Cody? Is something wrong?"

"Yes, maam, there is," answered Cody with a nod. "A little over a month ago, Bailey's mom and sisters died in a fire. Not long after that, her dad started drinking, blaming her, and beating her. She finally had enough and was about to come here to see me, but her dad caught her and. . . he raped her."

"Oh my gosh," said Carey in surprise. "Is she okay?"

"She is, now that she's with me," answered Cody. "Can she please stay with us, mom? She's got enough money to pay her way through her senior year at Seven Seas High and she'll get a job to pay for her stay here. I can help out too if she needs it since I work as a chef at the gourmet place. Please, mom? I can't let her go back there. My girlfriend needs me." Cody looked at his mother hopefully.

Before Carey could answer, Zack walked out in his swimwear, saying, "I'm going down to the pool. Later."

Carey and Cody watched Zack until he was out of sight. "Well?" asked Cody as he waited for an answer.

Carey looked down at the floor and sighed. Finally, she said, "I'm sorry, Cody, but Bailey can't stay here. We don't have enough room."

"What?" asked Cody in shock. "What's she supposed to do? Go back to her dad?" Cody couldn't believe what he had just heard!

"I wouldn't dream of sending her back there," answered Carey. She then smiled and put a hand on her son's shoulder, adding, "Which is why you and Bailey will have your own suite."

This surprised Cody. "Really? You mean it?"

"Absolutely," answered Carey with a reassuring smile. "Just don't get her pregnant. I'm not quite ready to become a grandmother just yet."

Cody chuckled and said, "Oh, believe me, you don't have to worry about that. If it was Zack, it'd be a different story, even though he's dating Maya."

"I know," agreed Carey. "Just promise me you'll visit often?" Cody nodded, causing Carey to smile. "I'll go make the arrangements. You start packing your things. And I'll see if there are any job openings for Bailey while I'm at it."

Carey walked away as Cody walked back into the suite. He smiled at Bailey and offered her his hand, saying, "Come with me."

Bailey was confused, but she obliged. They walked into the bedroom and Cody started packing. "What are you doing?" asked Bailey.

"Moving out," said Cody.

"What?" asked Bailey, silently thinking the worst. "Why?"

"Well, mom says there's not enough room for you to stay with us," answered Cody. He smiled as he turned to his girlfriend before adding, "So, you and I are going to have our own suite."

This surprised Bailey and brought a smile to her face. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, I am," answered Cody with a smile.

Bailey threw her arms around her boyfriend, saying, "Thank you so much. I knew I could count on you."

"Anytime, my little hay bale," said Cody with a smile. "Anytime."

Once Cody's stuff was packed, he and Bailey were watching TV when Carey walked back in. She smiled and said, "Good news, you're all set. And Bailey, there's a job opening here for the candy counter if you want it. You'll work from one in the afternoon until seven in the evening, Monday through Friday. You interested?"

"Yes, maam," answered Bailey with a nod. "When do I start?"

"First, you need to fill out the application," said Carey. "Once that's done, you start Monday. I'll also be working to obtain guardianship of you. And I want to take you to a doctor as soon as possible. Since you were raped, I want to be sure you're not pregnant or have any STDs."

Bailey nodded in understanding as she stood up and approached Carey. She hugged her saying, "Thank you so much, Mrs. Martin. You have no idea how much this means to me."

Carey chuckled and said, "Just call me Carey."

Bailey and Cody were soon shown to their new suite by Carey. It had all the comforts of home. All they really needed was food in the refrigerator. A couple of hours later Cody and Bailey were putting their food away as Zack watched while sipping a drink. He had finally been told about what happened to Bailey, and for once was being sensitive about it. As he watched Cody and Bailey put the groceries away, he said, "I got to say, this is a nice place. Wish I was living here with you though."

Cody smiled and said, "Hey, look at the bright side: At least now, you've finally got your own room."

This brought a smile to Zack's face as he said, "That's true. Plus, when Maya visits later this summer, I'll have a place for her."

Later that night, Cody and Bailey were in bed. Their room had two single beds in it. They had moved the beds closer so that they could at least hold hands. "Thank you for what you've done, Cody," said Bailey. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Bailey," said Cody with a smile. They both knew it was going to take some time for Bailey to get over her ordeal, but Cody was going to see to it that she recovered.

Not long after Bailey moved in, Carey was successful in becoming Bailey's legal guardian. And when she went to the doctor, all her tests were negative, which was a great relief. Not only did Bailey's relationship with Cody continue to thrive, but she and Zack gradually became closer as well. And when Maya came to visit, both couples went on numerous double-dates together, although they did have their share of their own individual dates.

Cody and Bailey's love had survived a nasty break-up. Now it had survived a much more traumatic experience. What more could anyone ask?

THE END

Author's Note: Ya'll like? I realize the ending was a little rushed, but I couldn't think of a better way to do it. Oh, and be sure to check out my story "The Suite Life Transformed" over in the crossovers section. I want reviews badly.


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